New South Africa National Committee for SCAR

Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) President, Prof Steven Chown from Monash University, with some representatives at the meeting of the South Africa National Committee for SCAR.

South Africa has been involved in Antarctic research since the geophysical year of 1957. The first 10 years of South Africa’s science and research in the Antarctic is highlighted in an article by DG Kingwell, at that stage the secretary of the South African Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SASCAR).

South Africa is a national member of ISC through the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The South African ISC -Secretariat serves the scientific community and the ISC scientific unions and affiliates to which South Africa adheres. The SA ISC Secretariat provides support and organisational services for the ISC National Board of SA, and to the SA ISC National Committees to advance South Africa’s position in international platforms. The total membership of these committees is in excess of 200 scientists. Approximately 100 South Africans serve on ICS-related commissions and working groups. The ISC activities in South Africa are focused on the following principals:

Science-for-policy: Stimulate and support national and international scientific research and scholarship, and to communicate science that is relevant to national and international policy issues;

Policy-for-science: Promote developments that enable science to contribute more effectively to major issues in the national and international public domain;

Science-for-society: Stimulate science engagement with society;

Scientific freedom and responsibility: Support the free and responsible practice of science;

The new National Committee has been announced in a letter by Tracy Klarenbeek – Professional Officer, Knowledge Advancement and Support (KAS) and their first meeting took place at Stellenbosch University on 6 March 2019.

Dear SANAP Community,

It gives me great pleasure in sharing the names of the individuals selected to represent us all at SCAR. Of course, these individuals will rely heavily on inputs from the entire community, so I sincerely hope that you will be available to support them in their endeavours. Members of the community that are not an the steering committee are still strongly encouraged to participate in SCAR and SCAR-related activities. The DST and the NRF are planning a follow-up meeting with the whole community, hopefully by the middle of the year (academic and other schedules permitting), so as to give feedback on a number of initiatives ongoing that will possibly impact on us all, including plans for current and future SA participation in SCAR. We look forward to seeing you there.

The final list is below, the details of which will be communicated to SCAR in due course. Professor Bettine van Vuuren was nominated as the Committee Chair, Tracy Klarenbeek as Vice-Chair and Dr Gilbert Siko representing the Department of Science and technology.

Life Sciences Standing Committee of SCAR

Thulani Makhalanyane (South African Representative)

Bettine van Vuuren

Anne Treasure

Physical Sciences Standing Committee of SCAR

Sandy Thomalla

Sarah Fawcett (South African Representative)

Stefan Lotz

Geosciences Standing Committee of SCAR

Christel Hansen

Werner Nel

Geoff Grantham (South African Representative)

Social Sciences and Humanities Standing Committee of SCAR

Anché Louw

Ria Olivier (South African Representative)

Charne Lavery

Please give this committee your support in their efforts to take South African science to the world via SCAR.